The Day She Fell
by Obscure Soul
Summary: "What happened?" Abby asked curiously. Jess' beamed widened, if that were at all possible. Rated 'T' for angst and use of one bad word. Dedicated to Prawn Crackers for the prompt.


**A/N: This is dedicated to Prawn Crackers, as the first of many prompts given to me. It's a slightly different take than what I first had in mind, but I think I like this version a lot better. :) The idea was one I dreamed up a few weeks ago, and I remember the main points, but the details were a bit sketchy, so I filled them in with another number – Jess' #6. It's a bit cheeky, I know, but the word count more than makes up for it, don't you think? And this is also where my Becker diverges completely from canon. ****Jsyk. ;)**

**Rated 'T' for one swear word, and mentions of death, (I really don't know what's wrong with me and all this angst. But it's not my fault that everyone in my canon Becker's life dies.**

**...well, okay, maybe it is. But it's all necessary. Otherwise, he wouldn't be Mr. Perfect ;) )**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own, don't remind me. :(**

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><p><strong>The Day She Fell<strong>

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><p>"You're certainly looking better." Abby commented with a smile as Jess entered the flat. If Jess' responding beam had been any brighter, one might've mistaken it for the Sun.<p>

"I feel it." She replied happily.

"What happened?" Abby asked curiously. Jess' beamed widened, if that were at all possible, and her next words were very dreamy.

"I fell in love."

* * *

><p>That particular day, a Saturday, began as the previous six had: dragging herself out of bed, wallowing in the pain he had caused.<p>

He being her (now) ex-boyfriend, Jake Mitchell.

* * *

><p>They'd been childhood sweethearts. Jess didn't really talk to many people her age, but they'd met when she was three, and he moved in across the road, and they'd been nearly inseparable. Everyone was always saying that they'd get together, and they were adamant that they wouldn't.<p>

And, of course, they did.

They were fourteen, and it was just before Jess went to University.

With the obstacle of distance, they, in turn, grew distant, but still stayed together, adamant that a love as strong as theirs would survive it.

Or so she'd thought.

She hadn't banked on Becker turning up in her life. She knew that she was falling for him, and hard, and so had decided to break things off with Jake, because she realised that she wasn't in love with him, not really, and that being together and having feelings for Becker wasn't fair on him. She was hoping that they could still be friends.

She was going home that weekend, to see him, her parents and her little brother. And when she met him at the station, she saw him with another woman.

And the two looked very…_intimate._

The worst part was that he didn't even try to deny it.

Her name was Melissa, and he'd been cheating on her with this…_woman_ for just over a year.

She broke it off, but didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears.

No, she saved that for the rest of the week.

* * *

><p>Back to Jess and her wallowing. Or, rather, not wallowing.<p>

She wasn't allowed to be sad today, she'd told herself.

She was going dress shopping.

Even better, it was bridesmaids' dress shopping!

But for once, the idea really didn't thrill her. Nothing did, lately.

She'd rather just stay in bed, cry, eat ice-cream and watch soppy romance films all day. But it was for her sister's wedding, so she'd convinced herself that she had to go.

And maybe dress shopping might make her feel better.

* * *

><p><em>Well<em>, Jess thought_, this is one idea that definitely didn't work._

"What do you think, Jess?" Cate asked. "Jess?"

"Huh?" Jess' head snapped up to look at her tall oldest sister, "Yeah. It's great." She said unenthusiastically. Cate sighed and hung the dress back on the rail, walking over to her youngest sister and pulling her into a tight hug.

"He isn't worth it, 'kay?" She said soothingly. She felt another pair of arms wrap around her, and she knew it was her other older sister, Beth. Jess nodded into Cate's chest, and cursed inwardly for the tears springing to her eyes.

"That doesn't stop it hurting." She whispered brokenly, a weak, bitter smile playing on her lips.

"I know, sweetheart, I know." Cate held her at arms' length and looked at her, "We should get something to eat."

At this point, Cate's Maid of Honour, whom Jess had known since childhood, Anna, spoke up,

"I know this place that does the most _delicious_ chocolate cake; you'll love it. And then, maybe you'll be more enthusiastic about helping torture Beth." Cate and Anna grinned evilly at the Beth, and Jess managed a weak smile. The middle Parker, who hated dresses with a passion, perked up at the mention of food.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Beth cried. Laughing, Cate wiped the tears from Jess' face, and the four women left the shop.

* * *

><p>Becker hummed along to the radio as he cleaned off the surfaces in the kitchen. He liked Saturdays. Saturdays meant no work, which meant no dinosaurs, or Temple.<p>

This particular Saturday was a day off, after a long line of days off. Specifically since last Sunday. He'd taken a week of leave to allow his younger sister, Lizzi, to go on a school trip with her school, which meant watching his niece. He'd toyed with the idea of taking Lexi into work with him, but dismissed it immediately.

With the things that Lexi heard, there is no way that he'd ever consider letting her within a ten-mile radius of Temple.

Hence, the leave, which, he had to say, wasn't entirely a bad thing, all things considered. In fact, he'd quite enjoyed it.

But it also meant no Jess, which rather put a dampener on things.

His Saturday plans had had to change this weekend. His mother had coerced him into running her café for a while, whilst she went out with some of her friends.

Not that Becker minded.

He'd grown up in this kitchen, and he loved it there. It was relaxing, and the chore of cooking was fun.

All of the regulars liked him, too; some of them had watched him grow up, and tasted whatever new concoction he'd made.

Alas, service was slow, which was a bit odd for a Saturday lunch, and he was feeling a little lonely.

And then, he heard the bell tinkle, signalling the opening of the door.

He groaned at the sight of his tall, long brown haired, green-eyed older sister, and her equally tall, long reddish-brown haired, blue-eyed best friend. The torturers of his childhood.

"What do _you_ want?" He asked them, mock irritatedly.

"Chocolate cake. And lots of it." Cate told him, a concerned frown on her face.

"Not a very healthy lunch." He teased.

"It's not for us." Anna informed him, as the bell tinkled again, and two more people stepped in. The first one was shorter, though not by much, with short, spiky brown hair that reminded him of Abby's, and hazelly-green eyes.

The second was shorter still, and incredibly familiar.

"Jess?" He questioned disbelievingly.

* * *

><p>Her head flew up at the sound of his voice, and she echoed his surprise.<p>

"Becker! What are you doing here?" She asked. He merely gestured to the apron and Jess blushed,

"Right." She said. He looked at her, frowning, his brow creased in worry.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. She shrugged, giving a small smile.

"I've been better." Their eyes met for a while, and the only noise was the music from the radio. Beth cleared her throat, and Anna and Cate exchanged smirks. Jess dropped Becker's gaze, and neither could stop the blush from rising to her cheeks.

"I guess it's you wanting my cake, then?" He probed softly.

"_Your_ cake?" Jess asked. Becker nodded, and reached down into the display under the countertop that Jess had previously missed. He bent down, and grabbed the huge, three layered, chocolate covered cake. Grabbing a plate from the kitchen, he carefully drew a slice from the cake and placed it on.

"I'd warn you to be careful, because it's very rich, but there's already chocolate in your veins, so it should be a piece of cake for you." He teased. Jess shook her head, and a smile, a proper smile, found a way to her face,

"That was terrible, even for you." She informed him, taking the cake.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked, with his eyebrow raised. She shrugged,

"Just that your jokes are terrible." She told him innocently, wondering how he could make her feel so much better, and so quickly.

"Well, you always laugh at them, so they can't be _that _bad." He retorted.

"I laugh, because they're so unfunny that-ungfghmmm!" She exclaimed as something soft and oh, so chocolaty was pushed into her mouth.

Becker watched her with a smirk as she chewed and swallowed, making inappropriate noises of appreciation.

"Like it?" He asked, an eyebrow raised. Her cheeks heated and she scowled, reaching for the fork that was still in his hand.

"Yes! Now give the fork." She demanded. He laughed, and then grinned evilly.

"No." He told her, poking his tongue out at her cheekily. Cutting off another slice neatly, he offered it to her. A bemused look on her face, she reached her hand out to take the fork. He pulled the fork out of her reach, smirking still. Once Jess had slowly lowered her hand, Becker offered her the fork once more. Hesitantly, Jess opened her mouth and Becker gently pushed the piece of cake in,

"Now you're getting it." He told her.

The others had long since sat down and decided to watch the scene playing out between their younger siblings, finding it very amusing.

* * *

><p>"Fancy a walk?" He asked her as she finished off the slice of cake.<p>

"But-" she protested, gesturing to the café. Becker shrugged,

"So, I'm closing for lunch."

"You'll lose business." She stated, perplexed. Becker shrugged.

"So, I'll be eaten by my mother." Jess laughed, and nodded, conceding.

"Okay."

"Give me a minute." He told her, taking the plate and fork. He walked through to the kitchen, placing the plate and fork into the sink and hanging up his apron. Picking up, and throwing his blue-grey zip-up hoody over his black T-shirt, he walked out from behind the counter.

"I'm stealing Jess away." He informed the girls.

"Don't be too long." Cate warned, a smirk on her face.

"And invoke the wrath of a stressed out bride-to-be? How suicidal do you think I am?" He teased, holding the door open for Jess. She waved toward at her two sisters and Anna, looking marginally happier all the while. Nodding to the three of them, and flipping the sign on the door to 'Closed', Becker and Jess left.

"How long d'you reckon it'll take 'til they're together?" Beth asked.

"Shall we bet on it?" Cate smirked.

"Oh, I might have to consult Lizzi then." Anna grinned.

"Cheat!" Cate laughed, "You know he tells her _everything_." Anna gasped,

"Why, I was only going to ask her opinion, and you accuse me of cheating!" She said in a faux-hurt voice.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything more adorable in my life." Cate smiled softly. Anna nodded her head in agreement.

"Are we ever going to let them live it down?" Beth asked. They three looked at each other, and then said, in unison,

"Hell no!"

* * *

><p>"So, what's the matter?" Becker asked as they strolled through the quiet part of town.<p>

"Oh, I…I broke up with Jake." Jess informed him, looking to the ground.

"But you were going to do that anyway." Becker said, confused. Jess sighed painfully,

"Yeah. But I didn't expect to find out he'd been cheating on me for over a year."

"He what?" Becker asked, outraged. How could anyone do that to Jess?

"Yeah." She laughed bitterly. "Here's me thinking that he's my best friend, and he's been cheating on me."

"Oh, Jess." Becker's voice was laced with emotion as they stopped at the gates to the park. Jess sniffed, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"Come here." He told her softly, his arms opening. She stepped into his embrace, tucking her head under his chin and burying her face into his chest as she felt his arms envelop her. Her fists were tucked under her own chin, against his tight muscles, and she could feel the steady rhythm of his heart against her cheek, soothing her.

"Hope you don't mind, but if I ever have the misfortune to meet the bastard, I'm going to kill him." He told her quite seriously. Jess chuckled thickly.

"Be my guest. Although, it appears that there's a queue. Connor, Abby, Matt, a couple of techs, a few dozen soldiers, my Dad, my mum and all my siblings are already in it." She informed him, smiling slightly as she sniffed. He stepped back from their embrace slightly, cupping her cheeks with his hands and wiping away her tears with the pads of his thumbs.

"Come on, then. We're going to cheer you up. The world's all topsy-turvy, 'cause you're unhappy, and we can't have that, can we?" He asked, dropping his hands from her cheek. Jess didn't have time to feel disappointment, because he took her hand and pulled her through the park gates.

And didn't let go.

* * *

><p>"So…what's you plan for cheering me up?" Jess asked. Becker grinned, swinging their entwined hands lightly as they walked.<p>

"Well…the plan is that you're going to ask me anything you want, and I'll answer truthfully." He told her. Jess looked thoughtful. One question sprang to the forefront of her mind, and she beat it down vigorously.

_I'd never have the courage to ask him that, anyway._

"What do you do in your spare time?" She settled on instead, "I mean, I don't believe that all you do is sit there and clean your guns."

"Well…" Becker trailed off. She just gaped at him, and he burst out laughing. Using her free hand, Jess whacked his chest lightly.

"No, I don't. I have a routine, surprisingly enough. In the mornings, I like to jog, and I do a different activity in the evenings. I have Book Mondays, Arty Tuesdays, Lexi Wednesdays, where I babysit Lexi, my niece because my younger sister, Lizzi, runs a revision session after school on Wednesdays, Gun Thursdays, Pizza and a Movie Fridays, Do Something Different Saturdays and Family Sundays." He reeled off. Jess thought on it for a while, and was quite silent.

"What's your favourite chocolate?" She asked.

"Mint." He told her.

"Did you always want to be a soldier?" She asked. He considered this for a moment, looking somewhat hesitant to answer.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She said quickly. Becker shook his head, grimacing.

"No, I said I would, so…no. I didn't. It was always more of a back-up plan." He informed her, shrugging.

"What did you want to be?" She asked. He struggled even further this time, and turned lightly pink; however, his answer came with the utmost dignity.

"I wanted to be a gymnast." He said simply. Jess stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, her eyebrows pushed deeply into her hair.

"A gymnast." She said, struggling to keep a straight face as she tried to picture Becker in a leotard. Becker scowled at her, rather red in the face.

"I'll have you know, I was pretty good! They said that I was a future Olympic hopeful." He said defensively.

"Why did you stop, then?" She asked, after successfully containing her laughter (but only just, out of respect for his feelings).

"Because I sustained a back injury, which meant that I could never be as good as I was, no matter how hard I trained." His voice was quiet. "It nearly killed me."

"Oh." Jess fell silent again. She liked these silences between her and Becker. They were comfortable; there was no need for words. They began to walk again.

"Are you…afraid of anything?" She asked. Becker nodded, smiling slightly.

"Of course! I'm human, aren't I?" He asked. Jess shrugged; she didn't know it was possible for someone as perfect as him to be human.

"So, what are you scared of, then?" She asked.

"Well, apart from the usual; friends and family dying. I'm…I don't like large bodies of water."

"Why not? Is it just natural fear, or…?"

"My baby sister drowned when I was eight, and I couldn't save her." He said. And, for the umpteenth time that day, Jess was stunned into silence. There was just so much _pain_ in his past.

"We were skating on a lake, see, outside the cabin we'd always go to for Christmas. I was eight, at the time. Mum was picking Dad up from the airport; he'd come home for Christmas. The three girls, Anna, Lizzi, Cerise and I, were just having a bit of fun. Lizzi had had enough, so Anna volunteered to take her inside, but Cerri and I stayed on the ice. She was good at ice-skating, and she loved it. Mum had started taking her to toddler ice-skating classes, and the instructors said that she was really good. She'd skated away from me, so I went to catch her up – and the ice broke. I reached in, and pulled her out, calling for Anna to phone an ambulance, or mum, or anyone. But help was too late. And she died in my arms. They always seem to die in my arms." He said, laughing bitterly and blinking back tears. And, for the second time today, Jess found herself hugging Becker.

But, as was happening with increasing frequency lately, it wasn't attraction that made it feel right. The comfort that they were both gaining did.

"I reckon we've got time for one more." Becker told her, glancing at his watch as he pulled out of their embrace. Jess nodded, and thought on it quite hard as they travelled through the park.

It was just as they were leaving the park that it came to her.

"What is your favourite colour? And it can't be black, because that's a shade." She quickly added.

Becker smirked, "I know, and I wouldn't have said black anyway. It's hunter green, and always has been. Although," He paused, hesitant, before his face gained a roguish, 'what-the-hell' sort of smile, before continuing, "Blue's been giving it a run for its money lately."

"Why's that?" Jess asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" He asked her, looking straight into her eyes. Dumbfounded, Jess replied,

"Well, of course I have. That's a bit of a silly question, isn't it, I mean -" Becker cut off her ramblings quickly with a chuckle and a smirk, before asking,

"What colour are your eyes?" Before dropping her hand and walking off. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"They're-" She began to call after him.

Oh.

_Oh._

Did he just…_compliment her eyes?_

And in that moment, staring at the back of his head as he walked up the street, Jessica Parker fell in love with the most amazing, sweet, charming and damn right _perfect_ man she'd ever met in her life.

* * *

><p>But of course, she told Abby none of that, knowing Becker would be none too pleased that she'd blabbed his secrets.<p>

"Run into Becker, did you?" Abby asked shrewdly. Jess' cheeks flared,

"You could say that, yeah." She couldn't keep the grin from her face.

"So what happened?" Abby repeated.

"Nothing much. He just cheered me up. And showed how truly perfect he can be." She shrugged nonchalantly. Abby shook her head, calling for Connor.

"Yeah?" He asked, appearing with a headset on. Jess rolled her eyes. Connor was on _World of Warcraft_ – _again_.

"I'll have a tenner, please." Abby grinned at him.

"Why?" He asked. Abby nodded to a now confused-looking, but clearly miles happier, Jess.

"Bloody Action Man." Connor grumbled good-naturedly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a crumpled tenner.

Jess just rolled her eyes.

She knew about all of the bets that the two of them made about her and Becker. Abby seemed to be in favour of them leaning toward a relationship.

And she hoped with all her heart that Abby always won.

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><p><strong>Thoughts? :)<strong>


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